PRETORIA – Elenah Mashaba, 42, from Modderspruit in Brits, who has been sentenced to life in prison for the premeditated murder of her 43-year-old Mozambican husband, Solomon Mashaba, had previously sought assistance to kill the polygamist.
North Gauteng regional spokesperson for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Lumka Mahanjana, said the slain Mashaba was married to Elenah and five other wives.
“However, Elenah was the first wife and had been married for 23 years. In 2019, Elenah informed one of the wives Barbra that she was going to kill their husband by poisoning him and asked for her assistance,” said Mahanjana.
“When she did not agree, in October 2020, (Elenah) approached two men whom she told the court that she did not know, to kill her husband for an amount of R5 000 if they are successful. On the following day, October 10, 2020, in the evening at about 8pm, while Solomon was coming from work and still at the door at the home he shared with Barbra, he was shot and instantly died on the scene.”
Elenah testified that after the men killed her husband, they came to her home to inform her that they had killed Solomon. She then gave them their R5 000 payment as agreed.
“Few days after the murder, Elenah confessed to Barbra to killing their husband and later confessed to Solomon’s friend. On October 15,, 2020, the wives and the friend were called to the police station for questioning and Elenah confessed to killing her husband and she was arrested,” said Mahanjana.
During the trial, Elenah pleaded guilty to a charge of premeditated murder.
“The State prosecutor, advocate Ronnie Sibanda, asked the court to impose a sentence of life imprisonment and said that there were no substantial or compelling circumstances to depart from the prescribed minimum sentence,” said Mahanjana.
North Gauteng High Court Judge Papi Masopa sentenced Elenah to life imprisonment, after convicting her.
The National Prosecuting Authority has welcomed the sentence.
IOL